As an optical transmission path through which optical signals can be transmitted, an optical waveguide sheet including cores formed on a sheet-like base material and coated with a cladding is used. An optical connector is used for connecting a connection target object provided with a photoelectric conversion element to the optical waveguide sheet.
The optical connector includes a vertical-type optical connector by which the optical waveguide sheet is perpendicularly connected to a connection target surface and a horizontal-type optical connector by which the optical waveguide sheet is horizontally connected to a connection target surface. For installing the optical connector in a customer device, the horizontal-type optical connector is more advantageous in view of reductions in thickness and cost.
In this case, the optical connector needs to emit optical signals, which travel in a direction parallel to the connection target surface, through the optical waveguide sheet toward the photoelectric conversion element positioned in a direction perpendicular to the connection target surface. For example, Patent Literature 1 has disclosed an optical waveguide device including cores extending in parallel with a connection target surface and inclined mirror surfaces that are provided at both ends of the cores and reflect optical signals emitted from the cores in a direction perpendicular to the connection target surface.